Damon (1993-2004) The time spent with loved ones, now lost, seems to affect our mind and body perpetually: memories happen upon us, unsuspectingly, and bring about tears of fond remembrance. Damon was our brother – devout and patient in an age of busyness and distraction. In his honor, we crafted and conditioned this Imperial Stout in bourbon barrels from our favorite distillery. We still reflect, daily, upon our Damon and his scruffy chin of grey – of his loyalty and his love.

Hill Farmstead Damon.I was the first one at the release at 9 am and got to meet all the brewers before anyone else showed up (was pretty cool). Most people in line were pretty cool too despite the fact that certain individuals felt the need to rush to the front of the line when more than 20 other people were there before them.Bottle 280/864Poured into my CBS glassA: Pours a jet black with no head. Some small lacing that it retains on the top of the beer with some bubbles.S: Bourbon, caramel, coffee all rolled into one. The Bourbon is most prevalent.T: Lots of bourbon but not overpowering. Some notes of Carmel and chocolate linger. Overall there’s a lot of bourbon right up front and not a ton going on after that.M: Bourbon, pretty much entirely bourbon flavor. Not as much going on as bourbon county and there’s really one flavor and not a lot of change.O: Great beer. I think I prefer Bourbon County but it’s better than 99% of everything else I drink. Once more Hill Farmstead does and amazing beer. (1,024 characters)

Near black in color with a small, very dark brown head of small and moderately-sized bubbles. Leaves the glass oily and spotted on the way down. This looks moderately thick, though not quite as impressive in appearance as, say, a Speedway Stout or any stout from Cigar City. Pretty and appropriate.

Well-rounded, and balanced aroma of chocolate, mild roast character, complementary but not overpowering bourbon, and chocolate-covered cherry. What I'm calling cherry is most likely a bit of oxidation that's crept in over the last year. It all comes together quite nice, without being overpowering or overbearing.

This is unlike most big, bourbon-barrel aged stouts. This is a drinkable, well-rounded, well-executed, even delicate version of an often bold, expressive, in-your-face style. Well integrated layers of chocolate, mild bourbon, a bit of roast and oak, and again, just a tiny peek of a chocolate-covered cherry note. It all comes together quite nicely.

The hallmark of this beer, personally, is it's mouthfeel. Without being terribly thick, it's creamy, coating, and nearly full.

Excellent, and I'm very glad I had the opportunity to try it. Strangely...I prefer BCBS (fresh or aged). (1,297 characters)

T - Tons more flavor than you'd expect in the nose. Sweet bourbon upfront with vanilla, chocolate, and maple syrup. There is a light chocolate malt in the middle. The finish is bourbony sweetness that lingers on in the finish.

MF - Silky smooth beer with barely any carbonation. Lightly astringent in the finish as well There is also a slight oak presence that lingers in the finish

O - Amazing flavor in this one which makes you want to keep on sipping it. There is a lot of bourbony presence and sweet vanilla in this one. Additionally, it has a great mouthfeel as well as it was nice and creamy. I do wish it had a bit of a better nose as it was not too fragrant. This is definitely good but I'm not sure it is worth giving up a lot to get a bottle (974 characters)